“Will you go with me tonight?” whispered Harold.
The girl glanced at the landscape in front of her, the lovely lawn, the feathery trees, and the moon just beginning to peep through them. What a night! If only there were some way to succeed in obtaining Griffith Hunter as her partner. But the young man had not put in an appearance since the morning, and in all probability he intended to take one of the Trowbridge girls. So Ruth sighed, and decided to accept the only invitation she was likely to secure.
“Boys and girls!” said Mrs. Andrews, abruptly interrupting the general buzz of conversation in all parts of the veranda, “Will you please make up your minds about the tennis matches, and let Mr. Andrews know by tomorrow afternoon? The preliminaries are to be played off Thursday and Friday morning, and the finals Friday afternoon.”
“What tennis matches?” cried Marjorie, in delight. She had heard nothing of the tournament up to that time.
“I guess Mr. Andrews had better tell you all about it,” replied the hostess. “He understands the game better than I do.”
“All right,” said her husband, “but there isn’t much to explain. We thought we’d keep it a mixed doubles match, so everyone may choose their own partner. You are privileged to take someone of our party, or a friend from Silvertown. But let me have the entries by tomorrow afternoon.”
“Suppose a boy chooses a girl who has already chosen another boy before?” asked Ruth. “What then?”
“Well, I think it would be best for the boys to do the asking—just as you do at a dance,” put in Mrs. Andrews. “But any boy who doesn’t want to ask a girl may just hand his name in to Mrs. Andrews. And likewise a girl who isn’t asked by any one in particular, will be provided with a partner.”
“What fun!” cried Marjorie. “Oh, I do wish I were a better player.”
Ruth said nothing; she knew that her chances of winning were good, could she but obtain a skillful partner. Harold played rather well, but not remarkably. It was Ruth’s dream to take the whole match without losing a single set, to come off with such a spectacular victory that her triumph would dull the brilliancy of any success Marjorie might win in the canoe meet. For Ruth had often beaten Marjorie in singles; and there was hardly another girl to fear among the scouts.